Cathy's Key
Go to Cathy's Key (cathyskey.com). See what you can figure out. Is this a learning context? How is it similar or different from traditional learning contexts? What features of cognition are employed in the design or functioning of the context? Write a short response.
I decided to try “Cathy’s Key” because I had already created an avatar in Second Life in a previous course. I had to create one and explore a scenario that had rooms with literacy content embedded in them. I absolutely hated it. I didn’t like talking to people (other avatars) online without any knowledge of whom they were. I didn’t like the limited options of how to personify my avatar. I thought it was very strange that all the options were for a beautiful, slim, fashionable character ☺ I hope this doesn’t offend anyone but the people creating these avatars did not look at all like their characters. Perhaps this was escapism, or as it’s called, “A Second Life”. I think this is definitely for certain groups of people. And I don’t think it depends on age. I’m not sure what the criteria is because I have spoken to many different age groups and some like Second Life, and others like me, hate it. I also had no patience with how long it took me to figure out how to control the avatar.
When I clicked on the link for “Cathy’s Key”, my first reaction was “Wow!” If I didn’t already have ADHD or epilepsy, I would have developed it after roaming around this website. I was initially confused as to what the point was of this site. It took me a lot of clicking around to figure out that it was an interactive book for teens. You could actually order it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble, etc. Everything moved or made noise and was not set up in a traditional linear format. I know some 'digital natives' appreciate this type of format because they have grown up with it. I know there can be some learning involved, just as in the Second Life site that I played with, but I'm not sure if there was any 'deep thinking' or long-term memory retainment happening. Clicking around on a site can be fun but is there any actual learning going on?
This book site was trying to emulate other sites that have hyperlinks embedded. I’m not quite sure what age group it’s being marketed to. I did click on the Amazon link and found two people named Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman wrote it. It’s interesting that although this is a book presumably marketed to teen girls, both authors are older males. It’s an alternative reality game with actual phone numbers and hyperlinks. I scanned the Amazon.com reviews and found that they went from 5 stars to 2. Granted there were only nine reviews but some loved the book, while others didn’t. The negative reviews mentioned: not enough plot and character development, confusing, and too much focus on the interactiveness. I’d like to actually talk to people who have “read” this book to see their opinions. I also tried to click on one of the links that would have taken a picture and “aged myself” but I didn’t have the right plug-in. Darn it! That would’ve been interesting to see if the link made me look like I do now ☺
And I suppose I’m being cynical but I did not like the fact that the authors have a marketing agreement with Cover Girl makeup. They include references to the makeup line in exchange for advertising space on their website Beinggirl.com. Does everything have to be about money? Or have a bottom line of money, whether implicit or explicit? I think that’s sad.
I decided to try “Cathy’s Key” because I had already created an avatar in Second Life in a previous course. I had to create one and explore a scenario that had rooms with literacy content embedded in them. I absolutely hated it. I didn’t like talking to people (other avatars) online without any knowledge of whom they were. I didn’t like the limited options of how to personify my avatar. I thought it was very strange that all the options were for a beautiful, slim, fashionable character ☺ I hope this doesn’t offend anyone but the people creating these avatars did not look at all like their characters. Perhaps this was escapism, or as it’s called, “A Second Life”. I think this is definitely for certain groups of people. And I don’t think it depends on age. I’m not sure what the criteria is because I have spoken to many different age groups and some like Second Life, and others like me, hate it. I also had no patience with how long it took me to figure out how to control the avatar.
When I clicked on the link for “Cathy’s Key”, my first reaction was “Wow!” If I didn’t already have ADHD or epilepsy, I would have developed it after roaming around this website. I was initially confused as to what the point was of this site. It took me a lot of clicking around to figure out that it was an interactive book for teens. You could actually order it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble, etc. Everything moved or made noise and was not set up in a traditional linear format. I know some 'digital natives' appreciate this type of format because they have grown up with it. I know there can be some learning involved, just as in the Second Life site that I played with, but I'm not sure if there was any 'deep thinking' or long-term memory retainment happening. Clicking around on a site can be fun but is there any actual learning going on?
This book site was trying to emulate other sites that have hyperlinks embedded. I’m not quite sure what age group it’s being marketed to. I did click on the Amazon link and found two people named Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman wrote it. It’s interesting that although this is a book presumably marketed to teen girls, both authors are older males. It’s an alternative reality game with actual phone numbers and hyperlinks. I scanned the Amazon.com reviews and found that they went from 5 stars to 2. Granted there were only nine reviews but some loved the book, while others didn’t. The negative reviews mentioned: not enough plot and character development, confusing, and too much focus on the interactiveness. I’d like to actually talk to people who have “read” this book to see their opinions. I also tried to click on one of the links that would have taken a picture and “aged myself” but I didn’t have the right plug-in. Darn it! That would’ve been interesting to see if the link made me look like I do now ☺
And I suppose I’m being cynical but I did not like the fact that the authors have a marketing agreement with Cover Girl makeup. They include references to the makeup line in exchange for advertising space on their website Beinggirl.com. Does everything have to be about money? Or have a bottom line of money, whether implicit or explicit? I think that’s sad.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Does block play facilitate language acquisition?
The article's citation is:
Christakis, D.A., Zimmerman, F.J., & Garrison,M.M. (2007). Effect of block play on language acquisition and attention in toddlers. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 161(10), 967-971.
Read the article (especially the results and conclusions.) Now, go tohttp://www.arcytech.org/java/patterns/patterns_j.shtml and play with the virtual blocks. Do you agree or disagree with the researchers? If you do agree, what is it about playing with blocks that you think may contribute to language acquisition? What other theories do you have about language acquisition that is supported by your readings? Would virtual blocks work as well as real ones for this purpose? Why or why not?
I was not able to get the link to work although I have played other “block” games on-line and on my phone. Games such as Tetris and Bejeweled and other similar puzzle video games are very popular. Though these games can be entertaining and a great time-killer or waster, I don’t believe they are helpful for children’s language acquisition. There are more colors and animation with virtual blocks but virtual games can be too fast, with the pressure of a time limit. The constant multi-media stimulation (as with television also) has been said to be harmful to developing children’s brains. Here’s some links to just a few of the many websites that believe that too much “virtuosity” can be detrimental.
Children cannot physically manipulate virtual blocks, although they can virtually manipulate position and color.
I have observed children playing with many types of blocks: wooden blocks and colored wooden blocks, blocks with all the same shape, and blocks of various shapes (e.g. arches, rectangles, triangles). I have also seen children play with plastic car “blocks” as in the game Rush Hour, where cars are manipulated through a maze in order to find an exit. I agree with the researchers in theory. The tactile touch of physical blocks is much more stimulating for the brain and allows for more creativity. Children are not constrained by the limitations of a virtual block game and the games’ creators. Manipulation of physical blocks can bring out a child’s curiosity and create new synapses in the brain because there are no limitations. Spatial skills, math skills and creative problem solving are fostered. I think it’s almost better to have plain blocks with limited shapes because it forces kids to use their own imaginations.
Does playing with blocks encourage parent/child interaction? And does this facilitate more conversation leading to further language acquisition? I found some faults with Christakis’s study however. Mega Blocks, a toy company that had a vested interest in the results, funded the research. Perhaps children played with the blocks because they had them. Does this necessarily mean that their language acquisition improved because of the block play? Parents may have filled out diaries with a bias towards wanting or anticipating what the researchers desired. It was interesting that when I googled “Block play and language acquisition”, the only study that came up to validate block play as a reason was the Christakis article. One flawed study was the impetus for a bandwagon effect, where everyone now thinks that block play leads to increased language acquisition (and fewer behavioral problems).
Friday, October 21, 2011
Visual Zen
Lois Ann Knezek
October 21, 2011
Research activity:
◦ Go to http://www.visuwords.com/. Think on your own for a few minutes. How is this knowledge representation? Is it? If so, how does it benefit our natural cognitive functioning? If not, why not? Keep this to yourself for a few minutes.
Visuwords is an on-line graphical dictionary, which I had never seen before. I thought it was very cool and would be great for students. Everyone’s minds think of different words and images when given a certain prompt. These all depend on context, senses, background experiences, etc. Just as Sternberg mentioned in the book that knowledge can be represented in many ways, this is just one way to represent the interrelationships between words in a visual way. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences would say that is a great way to reach all students with different ways of learning.
By the way, Visual Thesaurus on dictionary.com is very similar to the Visuwords website. The site not only gives you the definition, synonym and antonyms, but also a visual showing a semantic network of interrelationships.
◦ Now, go to http://cockroach.se/gateway/ Again, think on your own for a few minutes. How is this knowledge representation? Is it? If so, how does it benefit our natural cognitive functioning? If not, why not?
I’m not a gamer but I thought this was interesting. So many young people are considered digital natives and would find this way of learning familiar. A student might not feel that they were being forced to follow directions or that they were even learning. The use of color and visuals all present very well, as mentioned before, for certain intelligences. It was easy initially for me, especially getting through the 1st gateway. I liked being able to control the character but then as I approached the 3rd gateway, it became more frustrating. At least for me, there was more cognitive processing and thinking but frustration can cause new creations of neural synapses.
◦ Go to http://i.grahamenglish.net/576/the-zen-of-attraction/ Which of the sites do you think contained the best knowledge representation?
Create your own knowledge representation in the style that may fit and post the image here. You can draw and scan it, paint it in a program, type it out, etc., make a short movie, music, etc.
Of Graham English’s ten principles, I most identified with his first principle of Promise Nothing.
Ten Principles To The Zen Of Attraction
Promise Nothing
Just do what you most enjoy doing.
Hidden benefit: You will always over deliver. I was a public school teacher and still continue to teach as a University teaching fellow. I think if you love doing something, this love gets communicated to whomever you’re interacting with. In this instance, I think I am better able to communicate knowledge to my students because I love to teach and whatever knowledge I have to impart will come across more effectively (at least that’s what I hope).
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